ARPC 'pushes' retirees for upcoming exercise

DENVER (AFRNS) — For the first time, retired active-duty majors and master sergeants are being asked to participate in the biennial "Push-Pull" exercise, which conducts an end-to-end test of key mobilization systems and processes.

As part of what is called the "pretrained individual manpower," or PIM, the regular Air Force retirees, both officers and enlisted, are being asked to participate in the exercise.

"Not everyone is being asked to participate," said Sherrie Briggs, readiness center chief for the Air Reserve Personnel Center.  "We sent letters to a preselected population asking if they would agree to participate.  If Airmen didn’t get a letter, they are not in the pool of possible participants."
The letters gave the potential participants the option to participate by completing and signing a registration form. 

The deadline for completing forms is Feb. 20.  ARPC officials will select participants based on when their forms are received.  Applicants can e-mail, fax or mail in their forms to ARPC.
Airmen selected to participate will receive their orders about 30 days before the April 6 to 10 exercise begins, Ms. Briggs said.

"If Airmen sign up but don’t get orders, they were not selected to participate, and they will be notified by e-mail," she said.

Push-Pull exercises test each service’s mobilization capabilities, as required by federal law.  Unlike past years, this exercise will not include members of the individual ready reserve, standby reserve nor retired reserve.

"This is strictly for people who want to participate.  People do not need to respond if they choose not to participate," Ms. Briggs said.
Although this exercise tests the mobilization personnel and pay systems, the Airmen are not being activated to participate nor support any current operation, she stressed.

"We need to test the Air Force’s ability to quickly acquire needed specialties should the situation arise," she said.  "This is all part of testing our system."

Airmen selected to participate will be "pushed" to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, for re-orientation training.  This training increases participants’ situational awareness of current Air Force issues and activities.  Additional important information about this exercise can be found online at www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/library/mobilization/index.asp.  (Courtesy of ARPC News Service)